Finca Genoveva

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This humble garage winery collaboration, Forjas del Salnes, came to life in 2005 when longtime friends and respected colleagues, vineyard owner Rodrigo Mendez and legendary winemaker Raúl Pérez, joined forces to revitalize a little piece of Galician history that was quickly fading. Red wine in Rías Baixas was the way of the land back in the early 1900’s and when in the 1970’s when surrounding farmers were uprooting their less productive, less desirable red grapes in favor of planting the popularity gaining Albariño, the Mendez family was planting them. It all began in the early 2000’s when it became clear that Rodri’s mission was to execute his grandfather’s lifelong dream of grafting and replanting the nearly extinct, ancient coastal red vineyards in Val do Salnes, and to revive the nearly forgotten wines of his family’s history. Rodri became intent on pursuing this shift in the Glaician trend. This unique partnership of winemaking and vineyard knowledge and skill rooted in the past, conscious of the present and vision for the future, has led to the production of Spain’s finest Albariños and rare Galician reds.

LOCATION, SOIL, CLIMATE: Rías Baixas is tucked into the green rolling hills of the northwest corner of Spain, just above Portugal, hugging the deep blue Atlantic coastline. It is a breathtaking region overall, and the sub-region of Val do Salnes, the birthplace of Albariño, is no exception. Within the five unique subzones that fall under the D.O. Rías Baixas , Val do Salnes’ prime location is the coolest and most fertile area of the D.O. on the Atlantic coast of Spain. In fact, there is more Albariño vines planted there than any of the other four sub-regions sharing its Rías Baixas name. The soil here is pure granite with top layers of rocks and alluvial soil, perfect for the fresh, Albariño expression. With average temperatures of approximately 60F (16C) between April and October, Rías Baixas is also one of the rainiest areas in Spain with median annual rain falling 63inches (1600mm). This can often cause difficulties in reaching optimum sugar levels during the last few, very vital, weeks before harvest, often resulting in vintage variation.

TASTING NOTES: It is nicely coated by juicy fruit, and the mineral core is evident. This is truly outstanding, and even if it might seem a bit hard for some, I think this is a very elegant, cool climate red. Really amazing: super aromatic, super intense, super complex, super mineral, super everything!

OLE IMPORTS began in 1999 with just 3 wines. Our unique portfolio of Spanish wines has now grown to over 100 wines today. My dear friend and partner Alberto Orte and I have searched the Spanish peninsula for wines that share four fundamental elements: terroir, quality fruit, exceptional winemaking and last but not least, wines that present an exceptional value.